Raspberries in Dallas?

mommyfox(7)January 28, 2008

Has anyone ever grown raspberries in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area? I plan on planting some blackberries this year, but I have enough room for a second type of berry. I love raspberries, but I haven't heard if they do well in this area. The spot I have in mind is a fence that faces south but does get some filtered protection scattered through the day, as there are some trees nearby.

I've got raspberries in Texarkana. They do wonderfully, almost too well, because they keep on spreading. They are very drought tolerant and will fruit with 0 extra water but the fruit is much better with occasional water.

"aspberries are not well adapted to Texas conditions. However, with effort and care, you can produce sufficient quantities from a few feet of row to satisfy your taste for this fruit.

Avoid calcareous and heavy clay soils when planting raspberries because they do poorly on these sites. The best-adapted raspberries are trailing and require support for the vines, so plant them beside a fence or a trellis.

Frequent watering and mulch are necessary to attain any degree of success. Mulch with 4 to 6 inches of sawdust, hay, leaves, bark or other organic media. This keeps the plants' roots and crowns cool and moist for longer periods."

I'm planning to try some raspberries, too- in raised beds, as they're supposed to need perfect drainage and moist soil with lots of humus. The Extension agent says 'Dormanred' is the only variety that takes the heat, but a nursery near Tyler says 'Blackhawk' and 'Heritage'are good, too. Shade at the hottest time of the day is recommended.

Dorothy,
I don't know what kind of raspberries they are. My mother bought them and I planted them before I started caring about gardening. They are planted in native soil mixed with compost. I don't mulch them. They don't get watered very often. They grow amongst big giant weeds because it is hard to weed a bed with thorny raspberries growing in it! They do fine here, I'm sure they'll do fine in Mt. Vernon. Check out A&M's site to see which varieties they recommend. They always have good suggestions.

I found a kind that they 'found' in LA they are saying is going to be the answer to raspberries in the south. Unfortunately, being from LA, has the goofy name of bababerry!! I've ordered some to try. If you have some extra canes for swapping, I'd be most interested!!

I think Ham Orchard in Terrell used to have them but due to our alkaline soil, I hear they are hard to keep going here in this area. I would think they'd to great in east Texas with their more acid soil.

I'm in DFW. I planted raspberries (I think Heritage sounds familiar) in large pots last year and they are now producing fruit. They are only in regular potting soil and are in full sun---could probably use more TLC than what I give them.

I have a raspberry, an elderberry, a dewberry and a blackberry. None are producing this year of course, since they were just planted, but they all seem healthy and happy in their raised, amended, sandy acid bed facing SW!